{"format":1,"id":"117-hr-263","congress":117,"number":"H.R. 263","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Big Cat Public Safety Act","title_source":"Short Titles as Enacted","official_title":"To amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to clarify provisions enacted by the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, to further the conservation of certain wildlife species, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to clarify provisions enacted by the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, to further the conservation of certain wildlife species, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text","title":"Big Cat Public Safety Act"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Big Cat Public Safety Act"},{"type":"Short Titles as Enacted","title":"Big Cat Public Safety Act"},{"type":"Short Titles as Passed Senate","title":"Big Cat Public Safety Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Big Cat Public Safety Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to House","title":"Big Cat Public Safety Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Big Cat Public Safety Act"}],"outcome":"became_law","law_number":"Public Law 117-243","introduced":"2021-01-11","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2022-07-29","vote":{"id":"117-2022-h415","question":"On Passage","title":"Big Cat Public Safety Act","result":"Passed","yea":278,"nay":134,"present":0,"not_voting":18,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll415.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"voice","date":"2022-12-06","vote":null,"how":"voice_vote","words":"Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote."}},"president":{"status":"signed","date":"2022-12-20"},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Became Public Law No: 117-243.","date":"2022-12-20"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2022-12-20","stage":"Public Law","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Big Cat Public Safety Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This act revises requirements governing the trade of big cats (i.e., species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species) under the Lacey Act to limit the possession, breeding, and exhibition of big cats. The Lacey Act prohibits any person from importing, exporting, buying, selling, transporting, receiving, or acquiring big cats across state lines or the U.S. border. However, some exemptions are provided for certain entities, such as universities and wildlife sanctuaries."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 3) The act expands the Lacey Act prohibitions to include a prohibition on possessing or breeding big cats. Breeding means facilitating propagation or reproduction (whether intentionally or negligently), or failing to prevent propagation or reproduction. Owners of big cats that were born before this act's enactment may keep their big cats, but the owners must register them with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service."},{"k":"p","t":"The act modifies the list of entities that are exempt from prohibitions to export, buy, sell, transport, receive, acquire, possess, or breed big cats. The modified list includes exemptions for entities or facilities exhibiting animals to the public if they (1) hold a Class C license in good standing under the Animal Welfare Act, and (2) do not allow individuals to come into direct physical contact with big cats. However, direct contact is allowed if the individual is a trained professional, a veterinarian, or directly supporting conservation programs that do not involve commercial activities and meet other specified restrictions."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 4) A person who knowingly violates the act must be fined not more than $20,000, or imprisoned for no more than five years, or both. The act considers each violation to be a separate offense. The offense must be deemed to have been committed not only in the district where the violation first occurred, but also in any district in which the defendant may have taken or been in possession of the prohibited wildlife species."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 5) The act extends forfeiture provisions to fish, wildlife, or plants that are bred or possessed; thus, big cats bred or possessed in violation of the act are subject to forfeiture."},{"k":"p","t":"(Sec. 6) The Department of the Interior must issue regulations to implement this act."}],"words":369},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to make it unlawful to breed or possess certain big cat species and their hybrids, with listed exceptions, and sets penalties, forfeiture and regulation authority for those offenses.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text/enr#H2ABD8FF2D752492B8135055CD4D9E624"},{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text/enr#HD7E38092D85B4441A6DA5A0165371C01"},{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text/enr#H9EB6C362500846699D90A2D0193D8110:~:text=5.%20Forfeiture%20of%20prohibited%20wildlife%20species"},{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text/enr#H37DD35E6C6024587AC5B377003B32FA5"}]},"core_areas":["Big cat possession and breeding prohibitions under the Lacey Act","Exemptions for licensed exhibitors, sanctuaries, universities and registered existing owners","Criminal and civil penalties and forfeiture for big cat offenses"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce, or to breed or possess, any prohibited wildlife species, except as the section allows.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text/enr#H2ABD8FF2D752492B8135055CD4D9E624"}},{"text":"Exempts an entity exhibiting animals under a Class C license from the Department of Agriculture, or a registered Federal exhibiting facility, if it holds the license or registration in good standing and limits direct physical contact between individuals and the animals to listed categories of people.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text/enr#H2ABD8FF2D752492B8135055CD4D9E624"}},{"text":"Exempts an entity or individual in possession of a prohibited wildlife species born before the Act's enactment if it registers each animal with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service within 180 days, does not breed, acquire or sell any such species afterward, and does not allow direct public contact.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text/enr#H2ABD8FF2D752492B8135055CD4D9E624"}},{"text":"Provides that a person who knowingly violates section 3(e) is fined not more than $20,000, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both, and treats each violation as a separate offense.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text/enr#HD7E38092D85B4441A6DA5A0165371C01"}},{"text":"Adds the word \"bred, possessed,\" to the forfeiture provision so that wildlife bred or possessed in violation of the law is covered by it.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text/enr#H9EB6C362500846699D90A2D0193D8110:~:text=5.%20Forfeiture%20of%20prohibited%20wildlife%20species"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary, in consultation with other relevant Federal and State agencies, to promulgate any regulations necessary to implement section 3(e).","cite":{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text/enr#H37DD35E6C6024587AC5B377003B32FA5"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"selective_carve_out","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text/enr#H2ABD8FF2D752492B8135055CD4D9E624"},"heading":"Prohibitions","effect":"Makes it unlawful to import, transport, sell, breed or possess prohibited wildlife species, but exempts listed groups, including licensed exhibitors, sanctuaries, State colleges and agencies, and owners of animals born before enactment who register them within 180 days.","amount":null,"quote":"an entity or individual that is in possession of any prohibited wildlife species that was born before the date of the enactment of the Big Cat Public Safety Act"}]}],"version":{"type":"Enrolled Bill","date":null,"rule":"enrolled","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text/enr"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/263/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-hr-263.png","v":"27e67ddb8057","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 263, 117th Congress: Big Cat Public Safety Act. House: 278 Yea, 134 Nay. Senate: voice vote. Outcome: Became law, 20 Dec 2022."}}